At least 17 Indian pilgrims including nine women were killed and 28 others injured today when a bus carrying them from Gujarat plunged some 100 metres from a mountain highway. "Very saddening news from Nepal. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in the bus accident at Naubise," he said about the accident that took about place 75 kms east of Kathmandu.

The bus with Indian number plate was carrying around 45 pilgrims from Gujarat who were returning to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh after a pilgrimage to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. It plunged some 100 metre down from the hilly road at Naubise village in Dhading district, police said.

14 passengers died on the spot while three others succumbed to their injuries shortly after being taken to a nearby hospital. Nine women and eight men are among those killed.

"A team from our Embassy in Nepal reached the spot within an hour of the accident to oversee rescue & relief operations. Embassy officials are present at every hospital where the injured are being treated & Embassy is taking care of the treatment," the Prime Minister said in his tweet.

The death toll might rise as the bus was trapped in a gorge like site and some passenger might have been trapped under the bus, police said.